Admissions advice from Kevin McMullin

Some Good News About College Admissions

There’s a lot of bad news swirling around about how difficult it is to get into
college today. But the situation isn’t as bleak as you might think.
The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by the process, remember these five
bits of good college admission news.

1. It’s actually not hard to get into college.
There are 2036 four year colleges in the country, and you know what? Only
about 200 of them are actually competitive. 630 colleges accept more than
half of their applicants. 576 colleges accept more than 75% of those who
apply. And there are 139 colleges that accept ANYONE who graduated from
high school! So if you want to go to college, pack your bags—you’re
going!

2. Low test scores don’t have to keep you out of college.
According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing,
there are more than 700 four-year colleges who admit substantial numbers of
applicants without using the SAT I or ACT as part of the admissions decisions.

3. You don’t have to attend an Ivy League school to be
successful.
According to USA Today, in 2004, there were 99 new CEOs named
at Fortune 1000 companies. Only one of those CEO’s went to college at an Ivy
League school. Check out the list of CEOs hired in 2004 and 2005 and
where they went to college.
We admit that there were a few colleges even WE hadn’t heard of!

4. Almost ANYBODY can write a great college essay.
We’re not
saying it’s easy to do, but you don’t have to be Hemingway to write a great
college essay. Write about something you care about, tell the truth,
don’t try to sound too impressive, and make sure you write something that will
keep your reader interested. Collegewise students have written great
essays about everything from working at hamburger stands to losing elections!
And make sure to keep reading these newsletters—we’ll be giving you essay tips
this fall!

5. The Mascot of the College of Wooster is the Fighting
Scot.
And the marching band wears kilts. Texas Christian’s mascot is the Horned
Frog. Centre College is the “Praying Colonels.” These are great
schools—they’ve all appeared in our College Spotlight—that don’t require
perfect grades and test scores to get in. How can that not be considered
good news?